Everything in me
by Nepeace
Summary: Femslash! Don't like, don't read! - Quinn Fabray looks like the girl she once was on the outside, the head cheerleader. But inside everything is different and confusing. Each chapter is a one parter slight AU - more stories will follow in this universe
1. Part 1  Everything in me

_**An:**_ This is my first try at Glee fic, actually this is my first attempt to write anything other then crime show fic. I have gone from CSI, NCIS and Criminal Minds to Glee. Which is an interesting development and it makes me kind of nervous.

I want to thank my awesome beta your_kat, who is also an amazing writer and you should really check out her stories. They are worth it!

_I hope you like it, let me know! _

_**Part 1 - Everything in Me **_

_I feel time is coming_

_And it shows I haven't been quite the same_

_I see walls are falling_

_But my patience's driving me insane_

Quinn Fabray - head cheerleader of McKinley High - strode down the hallway. Her peers made sure that they got out of her way. After all, she was the Queen Bee of the hive. Behind her, Santana and Brittany followed closely. Whenever someone came too close they would make sure that the person in question would be pushed out of the way.

She watched her peers while they scrambled out of her way clearing a path for her - it was a day and night difference from just a few months ago - a smile appeared on her face. She had worked hard to get back to her former self - she'd been devoted to training and getting back in shape. And with each goal she reached, the level of popularity she once had became more and more within her grasp. Her hard work had paid off. She was back on the cheerleading squad - she was even reinstated as the head cheerleader, and her peers feared her once again.

She smiled, though it wasn't a happy smile - it was merely a facade behind which she kept her real feelings hidden. How could anyone in this school possibly understand how she felt? Everything was so confusing and conflicting. A year and a half ago, all she wanted was to be the head cheerleader, but than her unplanned pregnancy had thrown a kick in the cable and in a split second she had lost everything. Being a carefree teenager - feared and, at the same time, idolized by her peers - she had been in love with the quarter back and they seemed to be the perfect couple. Due to her pregnancy she had lost her parents and a roof above her head - for months she had moved from one friend to another trying to find some stability and security. And then there was the undeniable trauma of childbirth and giving her baby girl up for adoption. And there was no one around who could relate to that - not in the slightest.

On the outside she might look similar to the way she looked a year and a half ago, but on the inside nothing was the same. Being a pregnant teen had made her fall from the top of the pyramid to the bottom and maybe even below that. She had learned that she might have been the Queen Bee at their high school, but the true troopers were the people who were constantly at the bottom - her peers who had suffered by her hand. The people she had kicked down - her fellow Glee club members, amongst others - but in her moment of need they had been there for her. Her parents kicked her out, Finn and his mom took her in only to throw her out and send her off to Puck's house once the true paternity of her baby came to light. But when push came to shove and life at the Puckermans' became too hard to deal with, Mercedes - who had nothing to do with the situation at all - had stepped up and invited her into her home. In fact she had not asked Quinn to move into her house as much as told her that she was moving in. While people who had previously acted as if they were her friends had been laughing and talking behind her back and sometimes even in her face, Mercedes had extended her hand in friendship and opened her home to Quinn.

Quinn strode towards her locker - her previous thoughts momentarily pushed to the back of her subconscious - while she focussed on opening the number lock on the red metal locker and opened the metal door. A soft bye and a giggle from Brittany signaled that the other two girls were going home. She watched them with a smile as they proceeded their way down the hallway - pinkies linked and all. Sometimes Quinn just wished that they would drop the act and choose each other instead of making out with any willing boy in the school. She sighed and looked back at the inside of her locker. But then again, who was she to talk!

She must have been rummaging through the contents of her locker for minutes when she noticed someone getting close to her. She looked down and noticed the very distinctive loafers and the tanned legs dressed in knee white socks and a ridiculous looking plaid skirt. None other than Rachel Berry was standing next to her - the only girl who could manage to look completely un-sexy in a _'school girl' _outfit.How she managed to do that was a complete mystery to Quinn but she figured that it had something to do with the fact that no sane person dressed that way unless they wanted to be objectified, and Rachel didn't want that in the slightest. When it came to that, she was a true contradiction - and when she was thinking about the contradictions in Rachel's behavior, she couldn't help but think about her own contradictions. Maybe she didn't wear them so obviously on the outside, but she surely had them.

She held her breathe while she was seemingly still focused on the contents of her locker. She was choosing to ignore the diva for as long as she could - which wouldn't be that long at all - since the small brunette would make sure that she would be noticed within a few seconds of arriving.

"Hi Quinn, I saw you coming down the hallway and I decided that I would come over and talk to you. We haven't done that in a while and now that we are friends I think that it is only natural that we talk to each other in a friendly manner."

The brunette rambled one word after another. Even though the contents of her conversation were already obvious within the first couple of words her way of talking would always be long winded. Quinn slammed her locker shut and turned towards the brunette, she crossed her arms in front of her holding a scrapbook which she had retrieved from her locker close to her chest.

Yes, things had definitely changed; a year and a half ago the brunette would have scrambled out of the way the second Quinn came into view because she knew what was likely to happen if the blond was in a fowl mood. Her life was filled with contradictions and this was one of the biggest yet. Nowadays, however, the little diva wanted to talk to her, be friends with her. And - to be honest - Quinn didn't mind. Not even a little bit, not even at all.


	2. Part 2  My same

**An: **_I want to thank my awesome beta , who is also an amazing writer and you should really check out her stories. They are worth it!_

_**AN2: **This was supposed to be my__** schmoop_bingo at livejournal **__ fill but at first I was planning on doing Callie/Arizona stories but that didn't work out and finally started writing these Glee fics last week which was too late to get them all done. So anyway under the name 'Everything in me' I will be posting my prompt fills._

_This is part two and the prompt I filled was 'loveletters'.  
_

**_Part 2 - My same_**

It was late in the afternoon and, except for the few students who were involved in some kind of after school activities, the school was deserted. Rachel was one of the few kids who was left - she had Glee Club, she had to gather her sheet music and, by the time she was done, the other kids had already left - she made her way down the hallway towards her locker. She had her folder with sheet music clutched in her arms against her chest. Her footsteps resounded in the long hallway - which always seemed that much longer when there was no one else around - against the red metal lockers placed on either side of the hallway.

She stopped halfway down the hallway and opened her locker, twisting the numbered lock until it popped open. The moment she swung her locker open a neatly folded piece of paper drifted to the floor. Rachel raised her brow and looked the hallway up and down - she wanted to make sure that there was no one around, for she feared that it was a prank and that once she picked it up there would be laughter and more torture - but there was no one around. _And what was the joke if there was no one to see it happen?_ She placed her folder with sheet music in her locker and bent down, her hand reaching out for the folded piece of paper on the floor. She picked it up but held it in her hand cautiously while her eyes once again drifted up and down the hallway.

The brunette got up and stared at the folded paper in her hand. She turned it around in her hands and watched the meticulously written name - her name - _Rachel_. It was an unfamiliar handwriting and at the same time it also had something she recognized but she couldn't place it. The tiny diva opened the folded paper and stared at the content of it. She recognized the words written on it;

_I thought I knew myself, somehow you know me more_

_I've never known this, never before_

_you're the first to make out whenever we are two_

_I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you_

_you're so provocative, I'm so conservative_

_you're so adventurous, I'm so very cautious_

_combining, you think we would and we do _

It was cryptic and she wanted to ... No, _needed_ to know who wrote it. It said a lot about the writer. But she knew no one who would write something like that – not to her anyway. She couldn't help but look suspiciously around but, again, there was no one to be seen. If this was a true thing than she could immediately write off certain people around her. There was no way that it would be Finn - he would never be able to write something like that down; he wasn't that thoughtful. It couldn't be Puck either - he had a 'bad boy image' to uphold and, even though he could be a charmer and a sweetheart, he would never leave physical evidence of it; he would be too afraid that others would find out about his gentle and kind side. And then there was Jesse - she was sure that it wasn't him either because he knew better than to ever mess with her again... Or at least, she hoped he would know better.

She thought about it for a second and mentally wrote the three boys off as potential writers of the note. She looked up and down the hallway once more and shoved the note into her bag. She slammed the locker shut and walked down the hallway quickly. The brunette made her way home. She sat down at the dinner table with her dads, and they both commented on her silence. They weren't used to their chatterbox being so quiet. She just shrugged her shoulders and made up an excuse while her mind was trying to figure out who could have written the note. She quickly went upstairs after dinner, where she took the note out of her bag and read the words on it over and over again. She tried to identify the handwriting but no one came to mind. She googled the words on her laptop and found the source: it was a song by _'Adele'. _

But neither knowing that nor the handwriting gave her any clue. She was restless, but she tried to fall asleep early; maybe a good night's sleep would help.

But the morning didn't bring an answer, nor did the following school day. She was no closer to the truth when she returned home. No one treated her differently, no one acknowledged her. She just started her day like any other day and it also progressed that way. In fact, the next few days were uneventful. She had already brushed it off as a prank; nothing more and nothing less.

That was until another note fell to the ground - when she again opened her locker after a late Glee practice - and just like last time, the hallway was deserted. She was cautious when she picked up the note. The brunette unfolded it slowly. Her eyes flew over the handwritten words;

_I thought I knew myself, somehow you know me more_

_I've never known this, never before_

_Walking with each other_

_Think we'd never match at all, but we do _

By now, she knew that the words were from the same song as before, _'My Same'_ by _'Adele'._ It was a song that she had playing on her iPod more and more each day and she wondered if she should sing it in Glee Club just to see if it would provoke a reaction from someone. Because she hated not knowing who was writing these messages to her. But just like last time, nothing strange happened - no one came forward to claim the notes and no one acted suspiciously. She didn't get any step closer to finding out who the note belonged too.

The following week, she was anxiously awaiting the end of Glee practice because she wanted to open her locker and find another note. But when she finally opened it, she didn't find anything. It saddened her that apparently the person who sent her the notes had given up on her already. She dragged herself home and, once again, her fathers noticed how silent she was. And just like last time the brunette refused to give them an answer.

Later that night she found herself in her bedroom alone. She was looking for her phone and digging through her bag when a neatly folded piece of paper fell into her hands. She could have screamed with happiness when she noticed her name written in that neat handwriting. The feeling she felt was almost euphoric, and adrenaline pumped through her veins. She quickly opened the piece of paper and read the one line of text on it:

_Think we'd never match at all, but we do _


	3. Part 3 Love the way you lie

**An:** The prompt for this chapter is 'Secret Admirer'.

**Part 3 - Love the Way You Lie**

_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn_

_Well that's alright because I like the way it hurts_

_Just gonna stand there and hear me cry_

_Well that's alright because I love the way you lie_

Quinn, Santana and Brittany strutted down the hallway, fellow students scrambled out of the way - pushing their bodies against the red metal lockers just to make sure that there was enough room to let the cheerleaders pass - that was the way it had always been and would always be... Or was it? But one unfortunate girl had no idea what was going on - she rounded the corner, completely unaware of what was happening.

The second she actually rounded the corner and came within eyesight of the cheerleaders - and all the other kids - she knew that it was too late to change what was coming. Karofsky, who was standing at the middle of the hallway, stepped forward with a huge ice cold slushy clutched in his hand. He stepped into the middle of the hallway between Rachel Berry and the three cheerleaders. He laughed while he brought his arm up and, in slow motion, everyone in the hallway saw the contents of the container fly towards the dark-haired diva. The thick blue berry ice slushy draped her hair and face, slowly making its way down to her clothes. Karofsky laughed out loud and high-five'd some of his neanderthal friends before he turned to walk away.

The other kids in the hallway burst out in laughter - some of them laughed because they thought that it was funny, knowing that it would never happen to them. The others laughed nervously, glad that this time it wasn't them who were slushied, but instead it was Rachel; however, they knew that next time it might be them.

The brunette tried to make her way to the nearest bath room to clean herself up but her way was blocked by the three cheerleaders. She feared that the torment was not yet over so she stopped dead in her tracks, waiting for whatever torture they had in mind for her this time. She wondered what could possibly make the humiliation bigger than it already was. She was surprised when it was not an insult addressed to her. The head cheerleader's voice rang out loudly for everyone to hear; "Karofsky! Quit your childish games!"

Quinn Fabray - the head cheerleader, the head bitch in charge of McKinley High, and the person who once ordered to have Rachel Berry slushied - now called out to everyone in the hallway, indicating that they should end their torture of the girl.

Karofsky spun around on his heels and he stared straight at the cheerleaders - his eyes filled with rage, pure rage - while he stepped forward. His fists clenched at his sides, his jaw was tense.

"You know what Quinn, they should have given you a brain scan before they put you back as the head cheerleader because that baby you had screwed up your brain. Since when do you care who slushies or tortures Berry? She's a freak! Nothing more than a freak, we know it heck she even knows it!" It was the most anyone had ever heard the neanderthal say in one go and everyone in the hallway was completely silent. None of them wanted to miss a thing he said.

Karofsky was a big guy and the clenched fists at his sides looked impressive, but it didn't bother Quinn - she didn't flinch. She stood her ground. She allowed herself to take a quick glance at the brunette who stood dead in her tracks in the middle of the hallway. The blue berry slushy was making its way down her long tresses, down her clothes onto the floor gathering in a small pool at her feet. Quinn snapped her head back towards the oversized jock.

"Well, whatever it is, Karofsky, I am telling you now to stop throwing slushies at her - or anyone else for that matter." She huffed in an annoyed manner, placing her hands on her hips while she stared straight at him. "It is childish and not even funny anymore!"

She half turned to her right, facing the tall blond cheerleader behind her. "B, go with Rachel. Help her clean up," she ordered the blond before she turned back to face Karofsky.

The expression on his face made her sick to her stomach. She did a horrible thing when she ordered those slushies, and it took her falling from her pedestal before she actually realized how much it affected a person to be treated that way - to realize what she had been doing to Rachel. She wanted to make things right with the brunette. Brittany almost skipped towards the tiny diva before she guided her back towards the bathroom. Around them, whispers became louder and this time Quinn could actually understand them, but she ignored them. She glared at the boy across from her.

"Like I said before - it's childish and it should stop. Right now! And if you don't stop on your own accord I will make sure that you stop. I am, as you mentioned before, the head cheerleader after all."

"Whatever, Quinn. Is that head bitch in charge act supposed to scare me? Like I said before - she is a damn freak! She even knows it herself!" He laughed in a sickening manner; "Who wouldn't be a freak if they had two gay dads and a mom who gave her away, who didn't want her, who didn't love her - she is a total freak show!"

The way he talked about Rachel made her think about Beth and it enraged her. She wanted to punch him, but she knew that she would never win. He would crush her. She could talk the talk, but she knew that she could never win if it came down to a physical altercation with him.

But she could act as if she could win. "You heard what I said. Just test me and find out how true my threat is." The blond flicked her ponytail over her shoulder and glanced at Santana who was still standing to her left.

The Latina watched Karofsky with a glare - one that she knew instilled fear in many of their peers - she then proceeded to nod to the blond before they followed the other two girls into the bathroom. Brittany was rinsing the slushie out of Rachel's hair while she chatted to her in a happy voice about everything and anything except for what had just happened. The brunette smiled when Brittany told her how much Santana liked it when she raked her fingers through her hair whenever they took a shower together - so she knew what she was doing - and even though she laughed, the tear streaks where still evident on the diva's face.

Santana walked into the room, immediately making her way to the opposite side of the room which was also covered with a row of sinks. SHe leaned her back against the counter. Her nail file emerge from somewhere and she concentrated on fixing up her already perfect nails. Quinn watched Brittany and Rachel. Deep in her heart, she wished that she was the one who was helping Rachel out, but she knew that she couldn't step in now. It would be too much too soon. Quinn chose to ignore her first instinct and she followed the Latina through the room and leaned against the counter next to her.

"What's going on?" The dark skinned cheerleader asked without looking up from her nails.

"Nothing," the blond replied softly, making sure that the two of them were the only girls in the room who could actually hear their conversation.

"Q, what's going on? You're acting weird." The Latina replied, this time more demanding than the first time.

"Nothing" she denied, giving the girl the only answer she should - she couldn't. She wasn't ready to admit it to anyone else, she could hardly admit her feelings to herself. Hell, she had made sure that even though she sent Rachel three separate notes that the girl couldn't possibly find out who they were from. She wanted the girl to know there was someone genuinely interested in her, even though she wasn't ready to admit it out loud yet... Especially not to Santana. And how could she? For almost seventeen years, she was raised hearing how bad being gay was - her parents were the kind of people who would want gay people to burn on a woodpile. Unfortunately for them, they lived in the wrong era - so they had to settle for shunning anyone who was gay. And now their precious little daughter - who had already put them to shame by getting pregnant at sixteen - was having feelings for a girl. And even though her dad was no longer in their house and it was just her and her mom, she knew that her mom would never be open to the concept of her loving a girl when there were - in her eyes - so many perfect boys around.

Santana lifted a brow and halted the motions of her file while she watched her silent friend. She could almost hear the thoughts spinning in her brain while she watched the pained expression of confusion on the blond's face. "Right - if I didn't know any better, I would suspect that you have feelings for that tiny diva!" She said with a gesture of her file towards the two other girls in the room. Her voice was hushed, but the content of her words was clear.

"What? I am not!" Quinn exclaimed hastily, too quick to make a true declaration and she knew it; her reaction was not at all convincing.

"Right, keep on telling yourself that!" The Latina returned her gaze to her nails and proceeded to file them with a smirk on her face. "Just keep on telling yourself that! What are you afraid of? Your parents throwing you out? They threw you out last year, and you were pregnant and still made it. If you want this, you can do it - you just have to want it." Santana's words trailed off, becoming softer - almost inaudible - towards the end. But Quinn could hear them - every single word, she could hear - and she knew that the Latina was right. However, she refused to admit it and just watched the two girls in front of her. Brittany was making sure that all the blue berry slushie disappeared from the other girl's face - along with the tear streaks.

_Now I know we said things, did things_

_That we didn't mean, and we fall back into the same pattern_

_Just gonna stand here and hear you cry_

_Well that's alright because I love the way I lie_

_**Let me know what you think! R&R please! :)**  
_


	4. Part 4 Your secret admirer

**Part 4 - Your Secret Admirer**

_How many times have you told me you love her_

_As many times as I wanted to tell you the truth_

Santana crawled up the bed and up her girlfriend's long and lean body. Every so often, she would place a kiss on the naked body beneath her. Once she reached her final destination, she lowered her body on top of the blond cheerleader and kissed her passionately. A thin sheet was the only thing that covered them, though their bodies were covered with the light sheen of sweat from their previous activities.

"We should do something," the Latina said between kisses.

The blond quirked her eyebrow and looked up at the other girl in confusion. "But we are already doing something ... and I like what we're doing!" she said while she pushed her leg up between the Latina's legs - pushing her thigh flush against the latina's center. A moan escaped the other girl's mouth while she laughed deviously. "And by the sound of it, I think that you like it too."

"I like ... No, love!" Santana said when Brittany repositioned her leg and once again put pressure to her core. Another moan escaped her mouth before she could stop it. "I love what we are doing, but that is not what I was talking about." She spoke quickly, making sure that the sentence was out of her mouth before all coherent thoughts left her brain because of the pressure that Brittany was applying to her center. But once she spoke the words, she regretted them immensely.

"Oh!" Brittany pulled her leg back and released the pressure she previously had on Santana's center, causing a whimper to escape from the back of the Latina's throat.

"Britt! What the hell?" Santana exclaimed at the loss of touch.

"I thought you wanted to have a conversation. You're confusing me, San!" The blond said, immediately pushing her leg back up with a smile while she looked up at her girlfriend innocently. The blond's fingers entangled in the brunette's long tresses.

"Don't you dare pull your leg away again!" Santana threatened the blond underneath her with a smile. "I was trying to have a conversation, but I am sure that I can do two things at once." She moaned while her fingers stroked along the sides of the blond who stirred underneath her. They kissed passionately again before she continued the conversation. "I was talking about Quinn and that little diva."

"Who? Rachel?" Brittany asked between kisses.

"Yes, Rachel. Who else would I call a diva?" Santana answered slightly annoyed.

"You never talk about Rachel." The blond offered as an explanation for her previous confusion.

"Well, I never had to talk about Man Hands before, but now that Quinn apparently likes her, we have to talk about her."

"I like Rachel too!" Brittany exclaimed happily, obviously ignoring the fact that her girlfriend had called the brunette by one of her many harsh nicknames. "She's really nice! And she's a good singer, and she so tiny it's cute!" The grin on Brittany's face made Santana laugh despite everything.

"I sure hope you don't like her better than me!" She exclaimed with a smile.

"Nah, if I liked her better than you, she would represent one of the cuts I made in my bedpost. But you are the only girl, San." Brittany brushed the comment off as if it was nothing. The two girls had a strange relationship but they did love each other deep in their hearts - if they were honest with themselves.

Santana raised her brow - but where she would usually make a nasty comment, she had never been able to do that with Brittany - she took a deep breath before she continued what she was about to say, for it would be the first time she would be saying it out loud. "Quinn likes Rachel. She really does, Britt. And unless we get those two together, she's going to drive us crazy. I think that Rachel likes Quinn, too. I see her look at Quinn sometimes when she thinks no one is watching her, with those big brown 'Bambi' eyes."

"I like Bambi, though I don't like that they kill his mother."

Santana rolled her eyes and kissed the blond; "That's beside the point. Quinn and Rachel ..."

"I would like it if they were together, they could be like us!"

"Well, they could try to be like us, but they would never be us." Santana smiled; "I've seen that you and Rachel have been bonding after what happened last week with Quinn stepping up to Karofsky about the whole slushy debacle. So I was thinking - what if you invite Rachel to meet you at Breadstix tomorrow night for a meal? I'll do the same with Quinn, and then we can leave the two of them to sort things out themselves."

"I like that idea!"

"Good! That is settled then. Now, woman, make love to me." A devious grin appeared on the Latina's face while she kissed her girlfriend till her lips felt senseless.

Rachel walked down the hallway, her sheet music folder clutched in her arms against her chest. Suddenly, the tall, blond cheerleader skipped beside her. "Hi Rach!" She smiled happily. "Would you like to go to Breadstix tonight with me? I really want to be your friend."

"Eh ... ehm okay." Rachel said swallowing hard. "I would like to be friends, too."

"Good! Can you pick me up at seven tonight? Since I don't have a car and all," the blond said with a genuine smile, happy that the brunette had agreed to her offer.

"Yes, sure - I know where you live. I will pick you up."

Meanwhile across the hallway, Santana cornered Quinn. She made sure that the blond had nowhere she could escape to. "You and I need to talk. Tonight. Breadstix. Seven. Don't be late!" The Latina flicked her head around and resolutely strutted down the hallway were she caught up with Brittany. Instantly, their pinkies linked while they made their way down the hallway.

Quinn watched them disappear around the corner - confused, to say the least - but she would meet her friend at Breadstix tonight. She would demand an explanation for the strange way she had asked her - no, demanded her - to come to eat something with her. Besides that, Santana was hardly ever alone without Brittany - except for when either of them had a date with a random boy from school. But whenever Quinn was with Santana, Brittany was always there. She was confused and couldn't wait to see what seemed to be so important that Santana wanted to talk to her alone.

Rachel picked Brittany up at her house - as promised - and drove them to Breadstix. They were quickly seated at a table in the middle of the establishment. Rachel was wondering what a conversation with Brittany would be like since the girl was so different from her. She decided to stay on safe topics - Glee Club and dancing. That should be relatively safe. Brittany was an amazing dancer - the best they had in Glee besides Mike of course. The two of them were awesome. And just when she wanted to start a conversation about her dancing abilities, the door opened and Santana - followed closely by Quinn - walked inside.

The Latina had a hold on Quinn's hand, and she physically pulled the girl with her. Brittany quickly got up from her place across from Rachel and - before she knew it - she was sitting next to Rachel and blocking the only exit Rachel out of the booth. Santana - on her turn - made sure that Quinn would sit across from Rachel and took her place across from Brittany who smiled broadly at her. The two girls had obviously thought this up, and Rachel was feeling trapped. She should have never believed Brittany's innocent eyes and lovely smile. She should have known that Santana was behind it. And by the looks of it, Quinn was not here by choice either - at least, not for this.

The Latina watched the three other girls before she spoke up. "You two are going to sit here and talk to each other because I am sick and tired of watching you look at her when you think she isn't watching - and Berry, the exact same thing goes for you. So get it over with and talk to each other - or get over it completely, cause it is sickening." She pushed herself up from the table and glared at the head cheerleader and the diva before she turned towards her girlfriend and smiled at her genuinely offering her hand. "C'mon Britt. We're going for ice cream! Let them figure it out on their own."

Brittany got up happily and hooked her pinky in Santana's before they made their way to the exit and left the other two stunned girls behind in silence. Here they where, sitting together. Alone. Only a table separating them from each other and neither girl knowing what to do.

_Your secret admirer_

_Who could it be_

_Oh, can't you see, you're the one_

_It was me, how can you be so blind_

_Just to see right through me_

_**AN: Let me know what you think! R&R please!**_

_**The prompt filled with this entry is 'blinddate', I didn't want to use the traditional idea of a blinddate so this is what I came up with.  
**_


	5. Part 5 Suddenly you see

**Part 5 - Suddenly You See**

Rachel bit her lip and watched the blond cheerleader across from her at the table in the middle of _Breadstix_. Due to Brittany and Santana's manipulation, she was sitting here - feeling miserable and out of place - while she watched Quinn through her eyelashes. Looking up at her would make her more vulnerable because Quinn would be able to see straight into her soul. Rachel was waiting for the other girl to burst out in laughter, waiting for the other people around them to start laughing and adding to an already uncomfortable and humiliating situation. She scolded herself for ever trusting the tall blond cheerleader. But the laughter didn't start - in fact hardly anyone seemed to take notice of the two young girls. Everyone was just enjoying a meal while they talked softly. No one paid attention to them.

The brunette raised her eyes and observed the cheerleader who was still looking down at her hands. It was not at all the way she imagined the cheerleader to hold herself. She expected that Quinn would be siting there with her chin raised, a confident smile on her face - the smile she wore when she strode down the hallway at McKinley. But to be honest, when she observed the blond headed cheerleader across from her, she saw the same uncomfortable expression she was sure her own face was portraying; she looked just as insecure and out of her element. Rachel pushed herself up from her seat. She was going to end this now - she would take control of the situation and not wait for someone to tell her that it was all just one big prank - no matter how Quinn looked right now, it couldn't possibly be anything else. She was not going to sit here and wait for the other shoe to drop.

"I should go," she stated with determination while she got up; it resounded in her voice. For once, there was no long-winded speech - she said all she needed to say in those three words.

"No. Rachel ... Stay. Please?" The words that spilled from Quinn's mouth, however, were spoken in a less confident manner - they were barely audible. But they reached their intended target none the less, and the diva sunk back to the bench she had previously been sitting on. It was as if her legs were operating on their own accord - they just gave in and she sunk down to her seat. The words Quinn uttered were sounding honest. Quinn swallowed hard. "Santana is right." The words came out a whisper.

Rachel heard them, but she refused to believe it. "Why do you intend on making my life miserable? What did I ever do to you to deserve this?" The brunette glared at the blond. "Let me answer that question for you - in case you've forgotten that I have never in my life done anything to you. Just because I have not engaged myself in the life of a cheerleader doesn't mean that I am worthless, that I can be treated as a social outcast. I am _done_ feeling miserable because of you." She didn't really expect to get an answer and, after a little while, she got ready to get up again.

Quinn looked up at Rachel - she saw the anger and she couldn't blame the brunette - she sighed and prepared to tell the other girl what had been consuming her thoughts lately. "It's not a joke, nor is this a way to make you feel miserable ..." The blond bit her lip while her eyes flickered around, not resting on a single person around them any longer than a split second. Finally, her eyes rested on the brunette again.

"Why should I believe you, why now? What is different now? Assuming that Santana being right means what I think it means I wonder again what changed besides the fact that - you like guys... Finn, Puck, Sam - guys!" Rachel sighed in frustration. "I offered you my friendship last year more than once - you didn't want it, didn't need it. I wanted to be a friend when you were struggling, and you didn't need me because you already had so many other friends. So again, what is different now that you suddenly feel the need to call off the bullies and want to be seen with me in public? What has changed?" Her voice sounded resentful and harsher than Quinn had ever heard her talk to anyone before. Usually she could restrain her feelings – mostly – but not today.

"Guys ..." A chuckle erupted from the back of Quinn's throat but it wasn't a happy laugh - it sounded strained and painful. "This time, you are the one who might be wrong." The cheerleader admitted out loud for the first time to anyone.

"What are you saying? That you are suddenly into girls? How can I be wrong about that? How many times has the fact that my fathers are gay been the subject of my ridicule and torment? And how many times have you insisted on calling me _RuPaul_ or _Man Hands_? Now you want me to believe that you like girls? That you like me? What kind of a joke is this? Please, enlighten me! Because I am at a loss here. Are you trying to make me 'fall' for you so that you can make fun of me at school? Can't you just accept me for who I am and leave me be?" Rachel made sure that her voice was steady and that the emotions that ran through her didn't affect her speech – luckily, she knew how to do so from experience. She knew how to control her voice after all of those years of learning - the skill was finally being put to good use. She contained her anger, however. She was, after all, in a public place, and she didn't want to cause a scene. She had to see this experience as a test for her future - when she reached her goal of being famous on Broadway, she couldn't afford to have something like this happen when paparazzi might be around. So many thoughts were running through her mind that she almost missed the reaction of the blond.

"I understand your anger, and I didn't want you to find out like this. This was all Santana and Brittany's doing - I promise you that I had no idea what they were planning, and it took me by surprise. I am stunned that they took it upon themselves to trick both you and me and get us here at the same table. It shouldn't be like this ..." The blond understood the way the brunette was feeling. She had treated Rachel horribly, she couldn't expect the girl to move along with her - at the same speed her own feelings had changed - without giving her a chance to process it all. _What else had she expected?_ "Rachel, please hear me out?" Quinn asked, speaking softly to the brunette.

Quinn watched in silence while a range of emotions passed over the diva's face. But before she could answer Quinn in some way, one of the waitresses finally seemed to notice that they had been sitting at their table for a while and hadn't placed an order. Or maybe no one had dared to approach their table because the emotions had so obviously been running high. No matter what the reason was, the waitress approached the table with her notebook in hand to write down the order, but nothing could have prepared her for what happened next. "Can I get you anything?"

"Well, considering recent events I would really like to order something strong - a beverage containing a vast amount of alcohol. Maybe after consuming it, my mind will be able to catch up with everything. But since it is illegal for me to drink - since I am underage and we are not allowed to drink till we are twenty-one - I guess I'll have to settle for a juice." The waitress's eyes looked as if they where about to pop out of their sockets, and she sighed in relief when – finally, at the end of the brunette's rant - an actual order followed.

Quinn saw the relieved expression pass the waitress's face and, before she had a chance to repeat the question to her, the blond replied. "The same for me, please." The waitress quickly left their table, and Quinn returned her attention back towards the diva. "Please Rachel, let me explain?" The blond pleaded with the other girl.

The brunette threw up her hands in the air. "I just ordered a drink, so you might as well start talking." She glowered.

Quinn sighed in relief and to release some of the tension. Somehow, the rant to the waitress seemed to have calmed the brunette down considerably. "I was blind and dense. Everything that happened last year changed me. It opened my eyes." The cheerleader became silent when she noticed the waitress approaching again. The woman quickly put their drinks on the table before she left hurriedly. "I honestly had no idea what I was doing to people - to you. Rachel, I had no idea how much I was hurting you."

The blond head cheerleader sighed deeply. She was actually ashamed of the words that were about to leave her mouth. "I was raised to loathe people who were different, whether it was by religion or beliefs. People like you and your fathers. People who, according to the beliefs of my famil,y live in shame - outcasts." The blond swallowed hard. She had never told anyone what she was about to say now. "Last year, in the eyes of my father, I became one of those people. I will never forget the way he looked at me when he found out that I was pregnant. In a split second, I went from his little girl to ... I don't even know what he would have called me."

She blinked a couple of times to prevent the tears that where threatening to fall from rolling down her cheeks - she was still getting worked up over the fact that her father couldn't see past his small minded beliefs. She looked up at Rachel. "The people who had loved me and who were supposed to stand by me let me fall while the people who I had hurt more than I can ever make up for stood by me."

Rachel had to strain herself to hear the words the blond was uttering. Once again, she was glad that she had such perfect hearing for she was sure that many people with less trained ears would not have been able to hear what the cheerleader had to say. She waited for the blond to compose herself; it would be rude to interrupt her now that she was so obviously bearing her soul. The words Quinn spoke bared more honesty than Rachel remembered hearing ever before, and it made the brunette wonder if Quinn was still aware of her surroundings - if she even remembered who was sitting across from her at the table.

That was the moment Quinn choose to look up at the other girl and a sad smile crossed her face. "I never should have done all the things I did to you. You are right - you do deserve better." Her eyes where filled with tears, but she wasn't crying - she wouldn't let herself cry, she didn't deserve to cry. "Sorry." The word was simple, spoken clearly. It was full of regret and honesty. It was a simple word, but it held a lot more honesty than everything else the blond had said before.

"T-thank you, I eh ... guess." The usually long-winded brunette stumbled over her reply. The girl was practically speechless - which was not an easy thing to do - but what could she really say to Quinn after everything the girl had previously told her?

The blond cheerleader smiled gently; "I know that it is a lot to ask of you after everything that happened, but I hope that you can find it in yourself to forgive me."

Rachel really didn't have to think about it; all she had ever wanted was a chance at a friendship with the other girl. A certain determination sparked up in the small diva, and a matching smile appeared on her face. Meanwhile Quinn was just happy that the diva hadn't stormed out of the room since that was what she was famous for. The smile that appeared on the diva's face gave Quinn a renewed spark of hope, and she gathered enough courage to reveal just a little bit more. "Like I said before, I do like you. Santana is right about that. And even though Santana likes to be right about everything - I can promise you that she is wrong about one thing."

"What is she wrong about?" The brunette queried the other girl.

A smile appeared on the blonds' face, a real smile this time - it played on her luscious lips. The cheerleader softly began to sing a song which by now was very familiar to the brunette - a song she knew by heart. A song which had greatly impacted her ever since she found the words written on that note inside her locker.

_I thought I knew myself, somehow you know me more_

_I've never known this, never before_

_you're the first to make out whenever we are two_

_I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you_

_you're so provocative, I'm so conservative_

_you're so adventurous, I'm so very cautious_

_combining, you think we would and we do _

Quinn finished singing in that soft, vulnerable voice of hers. "It was you." She said breathlessly.

The cheerleader nodded with a happy smile.

"And it wasn't a joke after all?"

The blond shook her head sideways. "No joke, I promise. I am not that cruel."

Rachel smiled and, for the first time since Quinn stepped into the establishment, the smile actually reached her eyes. "So ehm ... Now what?"

"Well, we're here now. And I am done confessing uhh... for now. Maybe we should do what we came here to do and order some food and try to find out if we can actually call this a first date or not?" The blond shrugged with a smile.

"A first date implies that there will me more dates at a later time." Rachel paused momentarily before confessing with a happy smile, "I would like that."

The night was still young when the two girl finally called the waitress over to place their order, but one thing was obvious - nothing would ever be the same between the two girls. Nothing would ever be like it was before this night, and everything could only become better from this point on.

_She's got the power to be,_

_The power to give,_

_The power to see._

_**AN: **__One song is of course 'Suddenly I See' from KT Tunstall and the other one again 'My Same' by Adele. This time I filled the 'first date' prompt. _


	6. Part 6  The edge of forever

**AN: Thanks for the reviews and favorites! I appreciate them so much! A huge thank you goes out to my beta ! An amazing author, check out her stories!  
**

**Part 6 - The Edge of Forever**

_Standing on the edge of forever,  
At the start of whatever,  
Shouting love at the world._

Rachel was a creature of habit. She needed routine - her rituals lay at the base of her existence and without them, she felt lost. She started her day with her morning ritual, at school she followed her classes like she was supposed to, and when she returned home she would make herself a cup of chamomile tea with honey. Then she would go upstairs to her room to prepare herself by singing scales and a couple of songs before she made her daily video. She would view it a couple of times to decide if it was good enough before she put in on her website. After this, she would start her homework - if she had any left - but usually her extensive note taking was more than enough to make sure that she could finish it in record time before her fathers arrived home from work. Only on the days that she had Glee club would she change her usual routine around, but only because it would be later before she came home.

Before she went to bed, a completely different ritual took place. Sleep was crucial - eight hours – always, no exceptions. She wanted to stay in tip top condition to keep up her stamina and strength and therefor her body needed a full eight hours of sleep at night. She wanted to be a star on Broadway, afterall, and it was worth a whole lot to her. She usually went upstairs around nine in the evening with a mug of hot milk, where she would brush her hair in front of the vanity, and then clean her face. Once she was done with that she would floss and brush her teeth and finish with moisturizing her skin with her almond cream. After which Rachel would lie down in her bed, do a couple of breathing exercises, and fall asleep quickly.

But not tonight. Tonight, nothing had gone the way it was supposed to go. It had been way past her bedtime before she even headed home. She wasn't used to staying up this late - it was already past eleven – and yet, she was still lying wide awake. Replaying everything that happened lately - the notes in her locker and not knowing who they were from, Brittany wanting to be her friend (and Rachel giving her a chance because she, too, had developed a weakness for the often dense girl)... And if Rachel were honest, any request for a friend was one more than she previously had - and she needed it. A chance at friendship was all she wanted, even though a lot had changed since Glee club started a year and a half ago. There was no one she could actually call a friend. So when Brittany came up to her and told her that she wanted to be friends with her, she didn't really think of any of the consequences. She gave in pretty easily and pushed the thoughts of Santana and possible repercussions to the back of her mind.

But Brittany's request for her friendship had turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Rachel was still confused about what happened in these past couple of hours. She tried to replay every event from every possible angle and still, she found herself baffled at the changes and revelations that took place. Could she really trust Quinn and had something really changed or not? ... She was scared, to be honest.

_Quinn Fabray was an enigma._ She always had been in Rachel's eyes. If she was honest with herself, she had been infatuated with the blond for a long time. Rachel was not the type of person who thought of love as being a thing between a man and a woman - and how could she, with her fathers as her biggest examples and influences? But admitting that she actually felt something for the blond cheerleader always felt like a sure death sentence. But after tonight everything changed, all bets were off, really.

Rachel sighed deeply while she stared at the ceiling above her before she turned on her side and readjusted her cushion. She tried to do her breathing exercises again, hoping against hope that this time they would work and calm her down. But it didn't happen. A while later, she turned around on her other side and sighed in frustration when she noticed that it was barely five minutes later than the last time she took a glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table. Another frustrated sigh left her mouth. _Damn Quinn Fabray!_

Rachel sat up in her bed leaning against the headboard while she stared in the darkness in front of her. She was barely able to make out the furniture inside her room. But there was one object she didn't need to see to know what it looked like. The image standing on her desk was imprinted on her brain - it was a picture of the first Regionals they participated in with the Glee club. Somehow, the picture was taken by one of her fathers at the moment that she ended up next to Quinn, hugging her. A moment of utmost euphoria was what set the hug in motion, but it had been awkward when they realized who was in their arms and they had both stepped backwards staring at each other. No matter how small the moment they shared together had been, her dad had been able to catch it with his camera. As soon as he uploaded the images to the harddrive of their computer and Rachel was able to see them for the first time, she had fallen in love with the image. It represented everything she wanted in life - at that exact moment in time, there were no social outcasts, there were no borders, everything just blended together - at that moment, everything was perfect.

The tiny brunette pulled her knees up to her chest. Does she actually _love_ Quinn Fabray? She had never really thought about it, so could she really speak of love? Sure, she had feelings for the blond cheerleader - but since it seemed as if they couldn't even manage to be friends after all this time in Glee club together, she had never allowed herself to travel too far down that road.

She had caught herself staring at the blond - too often - when they were practicing in Glee. Especially when she was sitting on the risers and Quinn was performing a song. Wether it was just Quinn or more kids in front of them, her eyes were always fixed on the blond. That was until she realized that she was staring – so she would quickly avert her eyes.

The blond had admitted that she liked her – even, _more_ than liked her - but was she ready to take the plunge and allow the feelings she had kept under wraps for so long to be released? The real issue was wether or not she would be able to put her trust in the blond. After all the ignoring, constant insults, and slushie attacks... Could she trust her? Rachel allowed her thoughts to wander for a moment while she stared at the ever so slowly changing numbers of her alarm clock. In a couple of hours she would have to get up and prepare herself for another day at school. Would it be the first day of the rest of her life? Or would it just be like any other day?

The brunette stretched her arm out and reached to push the button of the lamp on the bedside table. For a minute she was blinded by the light, but slowly her eyes adjusted to the bright light. Rachel opened the drawer until her hand found what she was looking for. Her fingers ghosted over the small notes she had placed inside and picked them up. One after another, she read the letters on the paper written in - as she now knew - Quinn's perfect handwriting. And even more than before, the words hit her. Especially now that she knew who actually wrote them down for her. She bit her lip and promised herself that tomorrow would be the first day of the rest of her life. She would see it as a positive thing, and if she was in doubt about Quinn's intentions again she would look down at the words on the small pieces of paper which the blond left in her locker - she was sure that all doubts would leave her mind as snow from the sun.

She placed the notes back in the drawer and turned the light off. She laid down in her bed with a smile on her face. Her restless mind was finally quieting down, and soon she fell into a deep sleep.

_There's progress now,  
Where there once was none,  
Then everything came along._

_Standing on the edge of forever,  
At the start of whatever,  
Shouting love at the world._

_**AN: The prompt was 'bedtime rituals' and the song is 'The Flood' by Take That. Let me know what you think!**  
_


	7. Part 7 A change is gonna come

**Part 7 - A Change is Gonna Come**

_It's been a long, a long time coming,_

_But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will._

Quinn was sitting in her car staring at the house she used to live in with both of her parents. Nowadays, however, it was just her and her mom living there. Her mother had stayed true to her word - she had not taken her father back, not even when he called her up and told her that it was over with the blond bimbo that was once his assistant. He had tried to come back home, but her mother stood her ground and didn't give in - not even when he came by and tried to charm his way back into her mother's life. Quinn had been afraid that she would once again be back on the street with nowhere to go. And if that had happened, things wouldn't have been as easy as the last time. At least then she had been pregnant and, in a way, people took pity on her. This time, however, it would have been just her. But her mother had kept true to her word and told her father that she was done with him. Quinn hadn't seen or heard from him after that.

She rested her head against the car seat and watched the house intensely. It looked the same as it did a year and a half ago. But so much had changed. The cheerleader wondered what would happen if her mother found out about the events that took place this evening. Would she still be as considerate and accepting towards her daughter as she had been since Quinn moved back home? Since the day she had... ince the day after she left the hospital… She quickly forced herself to think of something else instead before she allowed her mind to wander to all of the what if's and possible scenarios.

It was strange. On the outside, everything can look exactly the same; but inside, nothing's the same. Even the tiniest details changed over the course of a year - not just with the house, but also within herself. The blond smiled while her finger tips ghosted over her lips. They curled up in a more pronounced grin. Quinn threw her car door open and quickly made her way over the gravel path towards the front door.

"Hi Mom! I'm home," she called out in the general direction of the living room – where she expected her mother to be - before she took the stairs two steps at a time.

However, before she reached the safety of the second floor and her own room, she heard her mother call out her name.

"Quinny?"

The blond rolled her eyes at the use of her very disliked nickname and turned on the stairs before descending them once again. The second she rounded the corner to the living room her mother looked up at her with a bright smile from the recliner. "Did you have fun with Santana?"

"Santana?" Quinn watched her mother in confusion. "Oh! Yes ... Santana! Yes, we had fun. We always do!" She stumbled over her words and tried to cover it up with a smile.

"Good, I am glad that you have friends like Santana and Brittany. It's important to have people around who stick with you through the rough times." Her mother's voice sounded a tad bit sentimental - since her parents split up, her mother spend most of her nights at home… alone. Her social status and life had plummeted - her mother didn't even go to church all that often anymore. She claimed that people stared at her because, in the eyes of God, divorcing was a sin. She didn't feel comfortable there anymore, and Quinn thought that it had more to do with the fact that her father was playing the innocent bystander in the church community than anything else.

"Yes, they are good friends," Quinn admitted. Sometimes a little too curious for their own good - but indeed, good friends. Though she really had to confront them about their actions - to figure out what the hell they thought they were doing meddling in her life like that. However, they had managed to get Rachel and her talking to each other. "I'm going to bed," she announced with a smile.

"Yes, it's late and it is a school night, Quinny!" Her mother tried to scold her but failed miserably. She never had to tell either of her daughters off or lay down the law with them. It had always been her father's task to be the disciplinarian. Her task had been to agree with her father's wishes and keep quiet.

"Night, Mom!"

"Night, Quinny!" Her mother said before turning back to nursing her drink and staring at the television screen. The cheerleader turned back to the stairs and made her way to her bed room. She leaned her back against the door and smiled. She got undressed and put the tank top and shorts on that she wore to bed. After moving into the bath room – were she brushed her teeth - she returned back to the bedroom. She sat down on the bed only to realize that sleep was far away. Her mind was too preoccupied with the events of the last few hours.

The blond got up and grabbed the guitar in the corner of her room - ever since Sam had shown her how to play a few chords, she had been obsessed with wanting to learn to play the guitar herself. Both Sam and Puck had helped her a little, and it wasn't like she could play any real songs yet; but she liked it nevertheless. Playing the guitar was something she liked to do to calm her nerves or clear her head.

Merely thirty minutes ago, she had said goodbye to Rachel. They had hugged before the brunette got into her car. She'd wanted to kiss the diva, but she didn't dare to do it - not yet – it was too soon. But ever since she watched the diva get into her car and drive off, she couldn't stop thinking about her. About those luscious lips and how much she wanted to kiss the brunette.

The blond was mindlessly strumming the guitar when there was a knock on the door. Her mother opened the door and peeked around the corner. "Quinny, honey? Why are you playing your guitar? It's almost midnight on a school night, you know." Quinn turned her head and saw indeed that it was close to midnight.

"Sorry, I just couldn't sleep." She got up and put the guitar back on the stand before she sat down on her bed again and threw the blanket over herself. "I was thinking about something."

Her mother crossed the room and sat down on the bed. "Honey, is something going on? Do you want to talk about it?" she asked sensibly while she sat down and brushed her hand through her daughter's blond hair.

Quinn's cheeks burned. She and her mother had never been particularly close, but her mother was trying hard to develop a better bond with Quinn. However, this was something Quinn was not yet ready to talk about with her mother - it was still just too awkward.

"No, it's fine. I was just thinking about stuff. You know, everything that happened last year..." The words died on her lips. She didn't want to talk about last year either, that was still too hard to talk about. But at least her mother would understand her reluctance to talk about it. And right now, giving her mother the impression that she had been thinking about Beth and the adoption (or the whole situation with her parents abandoning her in her time of need) seemed to be a safer bet than the truth - for now at least.

Her mother nodded and leaned down. She kissed Quinn on the side of her head. "Try to get some sleep, sweetie. And if you decide that you do want to talk, come find me." She adjusted the blanket on her daughter and got up. She left the room, closing the door behind her. Quinn smiled. Her mother was really trying, hard. She had changed so much, it would have been hard to believe it if she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes.

And thinking about change brought her mind back to a certain brunette again - one she had wanted to kiss so desperately but hadn't dared to do just yet. Would tomorrow be the day she would kiss her?

_There were times when I thought I couldn't last for long,_

_But now I think I'm able to carry on._

_It's been a long, been a long time coming,_

_But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will._

**AN:** The prompt was 'playing an instrument' and the song used is 'A Change is Gonna Come' by Sam Cooke.


	8. Part 8 Golden days

**Part 8 - Golden days**

Rachel woke up the next morning and, to her own surprise, she was feeling well rested despite the fact that she had not slept her regular eight hours when her natural alarm clock woke her up at six in the morning. With a huge grin on her face she jumped out of bed and made her way to the kitchen where she prepared her daily protein shake with banana and flaxseed oil - all the while she did her first voice exercises of the day. By ten past six she was on her elliptical staring at the picture of the Glee Club. More specifically, at the image of one Quinn Fabray - the school's head cheerleader and the gorgeous blond who had admitted just last night that she had deeper feelings for the short brunette.

So as always, the diva set a goal for herself, and she wouldn't rest until she reached it. And her goal was Quinn. She wasn't sure how she was going to achieve that goal, but she wanted it with all her heart - even more than she ever wanted Finn, Puck or Jesse for that matter. At the time, she had wanted them – that was for certain. But they had just been a replacement for something she thought she would never have a chance to experience. Who could have predicted that would turn out to be the gorgeous, very catholic cheerleader and daughter of Russell and Judy Fabray. The Fabrays were one of the prominent catholic families in the Lima community who always saw themselves as an example for everyone else to follow; therefore, they looked down on everyone who didn't share their beliefs. And Rachel and her fathers were an abomination because they were Jewish. And gay. So who could have ever thought that their youngest daughter would finally step up and become what they despised?

Rachel wanted Quinn, and now that she knew she had a chance, she wasn't going to let it slip through her fingers. The brunette got off of the elliptical and took a quick shower before she dressed and got ready for school. She wanted Quinn, but she knew that being too obvious would not work well on the blond. She decided that she would just go to school and see what happened as the day progressed. The last hour of the day was spent at Glee club, so she would no doubt see Quinn there at the very least - of course, Brittany and Santana would be there as well.

The brunette sighed before she grabbed her keys and left the house after saying goodbye to her fathers who were sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. She arrived at school a mere twenty minutes later. She breathed in deeply before she exited her car and made her way to the entrance of the building. School started and nothing much happened. In fact, until lunchtime came around, Rachel didn't even see Quinn. The blond had probably been busy with the Cheerio's and classes apart from Rachel's. The brunette was a little disappointed that Quinn hadn't come to her. The first half of the day had turned out to be just another day in high school. Rachel sighed while she stood in the opening to the cafeteria gazing at the blond in the center of the table crowded by the other Cheerios and the football team. She might be determined to become closer to Quinn, but she knew that walking up to that table at this point would diminish any chances she might have.

She turned on her heels and walked off, clutching the folder filled with her sheet music against her chest while she strode off to the auditorium. She opened the door and peeked inside. No one was around and, except for a few lights, the room was braced in darkness. The tiny diva sat down on one of the chairs in the auditorium. For once, she didn't climb the stairs towards the stage. Nor did she do her voice exercises or sing a song - she just sat there staring ahead in the darkened auditorium in utter silence.

The silence and the darkness that surrounded her almost made her miss the beginning of her next class, and she had to rush through the hallways to retrieve her books from her locker before she proceeded towards her class. She made it just before her teacher closed the door. Another two hours before Glee Club started – she still had calculus and history, both classes without the presence of a certain blond cheerleader.

The usually-very-eager-to-learn diva went through her calculus class by day dreaming - in the end she was glad that her teacher didn't ask her a single question though he raised his brow at her when she left the room. Probably because for once the brunette hadn't raised her hand eagerly or blurted out an answer to a single question before anyone else had a chance to answer.

She quickly made her way to the last class of the day - which she shared with Brittany. The blond cheerleader entered the class right behind her and ended up sitting next to her. Rachel sighed and tried to ignore the blond, but that was a difficult thing to do. The perky blond greeted her happily before she opened her book on a random page and started drawing doodles in her notebook. How the girl managed to pass any class was a true mystery. A couple of times during class, she tried to strike up a conversation with the brunette - but Rachel was having none of it.

At the end of the class, she got up and left the room quickly before Brittany would try to strike up another conversation with her. But since the blond was that much taller than the tiny diva, she quickly caught up with her. Rachel had decided that she needed to retrieve her folder with sheet music from her locker and while she strode down the hallway, the tall blond cheerleader skipped beside her.

"Hi Rachel!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hi Brittany," the brunette said with noticeably less enthusiasm.

The blond grabbed her arm, effectively stopping the diva in her stride. "Rachel, you're not still mad at me, are you?"

Rachel contemplated her answer - part of her needed to say _'yes'_ because part of her was still angry at the blond. She wanted to have friends so badly that she trusted Brittany without really second guessing her even though she knew that Santana was the puppet master behind almost everything the blond did - she could get Brittany to do everything she wanted without the blond girl ever second guessing the Latina. But this _was_ Brittany, and being mad at her was not easy - especially not when she was skipping beside her, resembling a six year old more than a sixteen year old, with a goofy grin on her face.

The diva sighed deeply before she smiled and turned to look up at the blond dancer. "No, I am not mad at you. But friends don't betray each other, and you made me believe that you really wanted to be my friend."

"But I do, Rachel, I want to be your friend - but I want Quinn and you to be friends as well. Like me and Santana. Because I like the both of you and it would be great if you and Q ... you know ..." The blond smiled happily and, really, who could resist the honesty portrayed in her eyes?

Rachel smiled. Brittany wasn't the only one who wanted her and Quinn to become friends and so much more. "Okay, let's be friends," the brunette agreed with a smile on her face.

"Yay!" The blond exclaimed while she clapped her hands before throwing her arms around the diva's shoulders and pulling her close. "C'mon, we have to go. Glee's about to start and I am sure that Santana and Quinn are waiting for us." Normally, Rachel was one of the first students to arrive. Now, however, she was one of the last, and if it hadn't been for Brittany's hand that held onto hers and pulled her along, she would have probably been even later.

Brittany stepped aside and dropped into a chair next to a very disgruntled looking Santana - her arms were crossed in front of her chest while she stared straight at the tiny diva. Brittany eased her head onto Santana's shoulder effectively breaking the Latina's gaze from the diva and turning it towards herself instead. A smile graced Santana's lips.

The second Brittany stepped aside, Rachel's eyes fell onto the object of her affection - the head-cheerleader - Quinn. The blond who had previously been staring at her nails raised her eyes, a smile crept onto her lips along with a blush on her cheeks. The diva smiled back before she made her way to the still empty chair next to Quinn. She sat down, but before she could say anything besides a simple 'hi', Mr. Shue entered the room. Rachel opened her folder with sheet music, and her eyes fell onto a song she had been singing a lot lately - the words were just perfect. Mr. Shue clapped his hands to get the attention of the students. However, before he could write the assignment of the week on the whiteboard, Rachel raised her hand. It was as if her mind and body weren't connected. Mr. Shue noticed the eagerly raised hand and knew that it was easiest to just let the girl ramble on about whatever she had to say before continuing what he himself wanted to say.

Rachel jumped up and turned towards the group. "Thank you! If I may, I would like to perform a song. As you all know, I post a daily video on MySpace and YouTube, and recently I got some reviews with song recommendations and there was one song in particular which I really liked and which describes the way I feel at this moment perfectly. I am sure that no one here knows the song because it is from a Dutch artist named Krystl, but I believe that my performance will be interesting enough to maybe persuade you to join in if you'll like."

Mr. Shue stepped backwards and gave Rachel her space, the brunette took the sheet music from her folder and handed it to Brad - she had practiced it a couple of times before in the auditorium with him, so he already knew the song. Rachel got back to her place in front of the risers and when she nodded at Brad, he started to play the song.

_I've got a pocket full of sunshine_

_No I ain't saving all my honey for a rainy day_

_Let's go to the frontline_

_Ready to dance, sing, rock and sway_

Soon both Mike and Brittany were dancing around her - the two of them were amazing. It seemed as if they had practiced their routine for this specific song before. They were just that good at improvising. They swirled around her, their movements in tune with the music. They both encouraged the others to join in.

_Gonna buy myself some new time_

_A one way ticket to the nearest parade escape_

_from the daily routines and go crazy_

_It ain't so far away_

_I feel good, yeah_

_So good yeah...woooohhhh!_

Brittany held her hand out to Santana who seemed to reluctantly follow her girlfriend while Mike used his charm on both Tina and Mercedes.

_I fell into the groove of a brand new day_

_Who doesn't wanna go to where the bubbles play_

_Oh oh these are the golden days_

_I fell into the groove of a brand new day_

_Follow me down and hear me say_

_Oh oh these are the golden days_

Artie was next in line. Brittany grabbed the handles of his wheelchair, improvising her dance around him while she took him with her.

_When the light slowly turns out_

_We're still walking on nine clouds_

_Feet off the ground, heading for sky's_

_Ready to take me way up high_

Santana pulled Puck from his chair and started dancing with him, pushing her body flush against the athletically built teen. Puck - never one to be shy about women - dropped his hands around her waist, pulling her even closer before cupping her ass. And since this was Santana he was dancing with - neither shy nor someone who held back – she gave Puck back what he dished out to her.

_I feel good, yeah_

_So good yeah...woooohhhh!_

Rachel no longer pretended to sing just a regular song. To everyone in the room who paid attention to her, it was obvious that there was a deeper meaning behind it. The brunette licked her lips while her eyes stared straight ahead, resting on just one person.

_I fell into the groove of a brand new day_

_Who doesn't wanna go to where the bubbles play_

_Oh oh these are the golden days_

_I fell into the groove of a brand new day_

_Follow me down and hear me say_

_Oh oh these are the golden days_

Mercedes danced back towards the risers to usher the remaining Glee club members out of their chairs and onto the floor. But there was one who was completely unaware of Mercedes' actions. In fact, she was oblivious to anything that happened around her.

_This yellow rain, it colours everything_

_It surely brings, out the best in me_

_It's all that I can see..cause_

Last, but certainly not least, Quinn got up and stood in front of Rachel - smiling at the other girl, Quinn ever so slowly inched towards the tiny diva. Rachel kept singing, but her eyes were locked on the blond - willing her to approach faster with her eyes. She reached out her hand for Quinn to take and pulled her closer.

_I fell into the groove of a brand new day_

_Who doesn't wanna go to where the bubbles play_

_Oh oh these are the golden days_

_I fell into the groove of a brand new day_

_Follow me down and hear me say_

_Oh oh these are the golden days._

Somehow, by the end of the song, Quinn was pushed closer to Rachel, effectively invading the brunette's personal space - no doubt by the skillful hands of either Brittany or Santana. Rachel instinctively wrapped her arms around the blond to steady her, but didn't let go. Quinn wrapped her arms around the brunette and stared straight at her, completely unaware of her surroundings - or maybe she just didn't care who saw them in such an intimate embrace. She leaned in and kissed the brunette's luscious lips. "I regretted not doing that last night," the blond spoke softly.

"Me too," the tiny brunette admitted before she raised herself on her toes and kissed the blond back. At that moment, Puck's catcalls erupted, bringing them back into the present. And suddenly, they were very aware of their surroundings - and how could they not have been aware before? The other Glee members clapped their hands and whistled.

_**So what did you thin? Let me know!**_

The song used is a great song by a dutch singer named Krystl, her debut single 'Golden Days' check it out on youtube watch?v=yBmgxcQ6fJk

The prompt for this chapter was 'cuddling'.


	9. Part 9 Rumour has it

**Part 9 - Rumour has it**

It had been a couple of weeks since the two girls had outed themselves to their friends, and neither one had regretted it. Rachel couldn't contain her happiness, and soon her fathers had figured out that something was going on. They had prodded until she finally told them that she was in love. Of course, the last name they had expected to hear form their daughter's mouth was the name 'Quinn Fabray'. Not because she was a girl - who were they to judge? - but because all members of the Berry family had at one time encountered the wrath of Russell Fabray and because up until that moment Rachel's fathers had seen the effect the cheerleader's harsh words had on their daughter. It had been countless times that their daughter came home with slushie stained clothes and a heavy heart caused by the hands of that same Quinn Fabray.

They had worried, of course - and who could blame them really? - they were afraid that the girl wasn't honest with their daughter's trust. But Quinn had said that she would come over to Rachel's house to prove to her fathers that she was honest in her pursuit of their daughter. And so it had happened - Quinn was invited into Rachel's house for a meal and the cheerleader had been able to charm Rachel's fathers with her honest eyes and her lovely smile. Ever since that evening Quinn and Rachel had spend most of their time together. While Rachel had immediately confided in her parents, Quinn had been more reluctant because she had already been kicked out of the house once and it hadn't been a fun experience. And while it was now just her and her mother living in their old house, she really didn't want to be kicked to the curb again. So far, Quinn hadn't found the courage to tell her mother yet - but than again, she wasn't as close to her mother as Rachel was to her dads.

At school, only the Glee Club knew about their relationship - and Mr. Shue and Miss Pillsbury, of course - but other than those select few, no one knew. But that was all about to change. Rachel was standing with her back casually leaning against a locker, Quinn on the other hand was resting her shoulder against another locker while they softly talked to each other. They looked just like regular friends - they weren't doing anything provocative. They never had done anything like that in the hallways of McKinley High for fear of the consequences of their choice - especially now that Kurt had been bullied away by Karofsky and Azimio.

Nevertheless, without them acknowledging it, Karofsky and his friends closed in on them - all of them were holding at least one slushie in their hand, but most of them carried two or more even. Both girls knew what was coming next, and there was nothing they could do to avoid it.

"Quinn Fabray, tell me - are you trying to set some kind of record here? Was being pregnant, homeless and a slut last year not enough? Seriously, are you in the running for Queen of the Losers or something? Because I 've been hearing some strange rumours about you and that midget!" Karofsky spoke loud enough for everyone to hear in the hallway. A lot of people stopped to watch - they all knew what was going to happen - but none of the other Glee kids were around and Quinn doubted if it would have helped anyway.

"And what is it to you if it's true, Karofsky?" Quinn said bravely - though it was just outer appearance. Inside she was a mess - her hands were clenched into fists at her side while she stared up at him. In a way it might seem as if she was taunting him.

_She, she ain't real,  
She ain't gonna be able to love you like I will,  
She is a stranger._

Sure, she's got it all,  
But, baby, is that really what you want? 

"With all the pussies you've been dating, Quinn, it's no wonder that you switch to girls. Maybe what you need is a real man, a man like me," Karofsky said while he pointed to his chest and hit is knuckles against Azimio's. Karofsky was still playing the big man at school even though he himself hid a secret.

"Dude! You think you're a real man? Pff ... You ain't seen nothing yet, till you've seen my merchandise." Azimio poked himself in the chest with a smug grin.

"Whatever, dude. That is not why we are here." Karofsky laughed before turning back to Quinn and Rachel. Karofsky raised the slushy ready to throw it at Quinn. "You, Quinn, are a disgrace. I don't know how you ever made it to the Head Bitch in Charge, but you certainly didn't deserve that spot. Maybe I should tell your father about your newest conquest when I see him at church this Sunday."

"You do that, Karofsky. Maybe I should give your dad a call and tell him what you did to one of my friends. I am pretty sure that you know what I am referring to." Quinn said, her teeth clenched together while she spoke - the anger was obvious in her stance. Rachel froze. She knew what Quinn was referring to. At one of their latest diva get togethers with Mercedes and Kurt, he had told what Karofsky had done to him. He told them why he left McKinley. Rachel had been shocked about his confession and had talked to Quinn about it - she had made her promise to never ever repeat what she had told her in confidence. Technically, Quinn hadn't said anything - but by the look on his face, he knew exactly what she was talking about. He knew that more people were now aware of his secret.

Karofsky's face turned white; "You, Quinn, are going to tell no one your crap stories." He pointed his finger at her, invading her private space while he stepped closer to her.

"As long as you are not telling my father about mine." The blond cheerleader spoke softly yet clearly enough for Karofsky to hear without the others being aware of what was being said.

"Whatever you say, Quinn. It doesn't change the fact that you apparently like to feel like a loser. So me and my boys thought that we should help you out. See it as our good deed for the week." He raised the slushie and hit Quinn straight in the face. His first slushie triggered the rest of his friends to throw theirs as well, and soon both girls were covered head to toe in slushies and chunks of ice. They walked away laughing and high five'ing each other.

The cold beverage stung in Quinn's eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks while she attempted to wipe the substance from her eyes. As soon as she was able to see something, she glanced at Rachel - the girl was standing there in utter shock. She hadn't moved or said anything, she just stood there while the ice chips and juice dripped down her face, hair and clothes.

Quinn looked down at herself, she saw how drenched her clothes were and suddenly the adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins wore off. And the cold of the ice chips started to merge through her clothes and into her skin. At that moment, an oblivious Brittany rounded the corner and Quinn called out her name to get her attention. The girl looked up, a shocked look on her face when she noticed the two girls in front of her covered in slushies. "What happened?" The blond tall girl asked, even though it was obvious.

"Karofsky," Quinn said simply. "Britt, can you fetch our spare clothes from our lockers? You know my code right?" Quinn asked knowing that the girl somehow had a knack for numbers. "Rachel, what is the code to your locker?"

The brunette mumbled the numbers, but only after Quinn touched her arm - it broke her from the shock induced stupor she had been in. The brunette turned on her heels but was quickly stopped by the blond before she could open the door to the bath room. "Britt, we'll be in the Cheerio's locker room."

"I'll be right there, Q!" The blond cheerleader skipped away in the direction of their lockers while Quinn wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulders and guided her towards the Cheerio's locker room. It was a locker room with everything Sue Sylvester thought her Cheerio's needed, so it was well equipped. The blond cheerleader guided the brunette towards the showers and started undoing the buttons on her blouse. Quinn peeled the first layer of drenched clothing from the brunette and dropped them to the floor before she walked over to the shower and turned it on. Soon the shower area was filled with steam. The blond turned back towards the diva and peeled the rest of her clothing off her while Rachel started to do the same.

The door swung open and slammed against the wall while Brittany appeared holding both of their bags with spare clothes in her hands and Santana right on her heels. The Latina took one look at the two girls in front of her before she turned around and strode off down the hallway while she screamed 'I'm going to kill that bastard!'.

Brittany dropped the bags on the floor with an apologetic smile. "I better go save Santana before she really kills someone!" The blond turned on her heels and literally skidded from the room around the corner.

Both Quinn and Rachel laughed despite everything. Quinn retrieved the bags from the floor and placed them on the bench in front of her Cheerio's locker and retrieved her shower gel and shampoo and a couple of towels from her bag. She placed them on the divider wall in the shower area and watched Rachel who had already moved into the shower area. The hot water was cascading down her body. She had her eyes closed with her back towards Quinn. The blond smiled while she watched the brunette from top to toe. Suddenly, the sticky goo covering her hair, face and skin didn't seem to bother her so much. "Here, let me do that for you," she said softly while she stepped forward. She squirted some shampoo in the palm of her hand before she put the bottle down. She started to massage the shampoo into Rachel's long, dark tresses.

When Quinn finished washing Rachel's hair, she turned around in the blond's arms and returned the favor. The gentle caresses on her scalp soothed the blond and a soft moan escaped from her lips. The brunette giggled softly while her hands trailed down the blond's back and sides. "You're so beautiful," the brunette spoke softly. 

"What the HELL is going on here, Missy!" Sue Sylvester's voice rang through the locker room. The steam in the room seemed to evaporate around her and the Cheerio's coach was clearly visible to both of the girls. They both grabbed a towel and covered their bodies while Quinn cut the water.

"Coach Sylvester..."

"Shut it, Missy. Discarded clothes on the floor, steamy shower, two naked girls. I don't think there is much need for an explanation, is there?"

"Coach, it's not what it looks like," Quinn tried again.

"Oh please, spare me the details. I've heard the rumours about my head cheerleader and that ... ugh." Sue made a gesture towards Rachel - who was standing behind Quinn staring at the floor. While Quinn was used to the verbal abuse of the Cheerio's coach, Rachel surely wasn't as familiar and didn't really know how to react - the disgusted look on the coach's face wasn't really anything new to Quinn, the older woman seemed to thrive on other people's misery. And it was a trait she tried to instill in her Cheerio's as well, but the head cheerleader had learned from the best and she didn't look down in fear. In fact, she was staring straight at the coach waiting for an opportunity to reply. "That midget. Quinn, I decided to take you back as my head Cheerio because I thought that you were different. I saw a determination in you which I recognised from myself. The power to keep your eyes on a target and get there no matter who stands in your way, relentless in your pursuit. Is this disgrace the goal you set for yourself? If so, then I should congratulate you - because you have surely met your goal."

"Call it whatever you want, Coach Sylvester. We were not doing anything wrong here. And as I said before, it is not what it looks like - despite the rumours you might have heard. We got slushied, we were both drenched and I am pretty sure that you would not like it if your head cheerleader walked around in a ruined Cheerio's uniform. What kind of an example would I be? Since Rachel was with me when it happened I told her that she could come with me to clean up. That is all we were doing here." Quinn stated firmly, her arms crossed in front of her towel clad chest. Rachel raised her eyes and watched Quinn standing tall in front of Sue Sylvester, defending her. "Not that it should be any of your concern, but the rumours are true. I do like Rachel - a lot - and we are dating."

The blond took a hold of Rachel's hand and dragged the tiny diva past the almost fuming Coach. Quinn opened her locker - completely ignoring the coach - and handed Rachel another towel to dry her hair. Neither girl paid attention to the older woman and sooner than expected they could hear the sound of a trashcan being kicked through the room after which the door to the locker room slam shut - it almost sounded as if the door would come off its hinges with the force at which it was slammed shut. Both girls burst out in laughter, partly to release the previously felt tension and partly because they had manage to do something not many people dared. They had faced Sue Sylvester and lived to tell the story.

The blond cheerleader pulled the diva close to her and kissed her before she quietly returned to her bag and got dressed in another immaculate looking Cheerio's uniform. Rachel followed the blond's example and got dressed in her spare clothes and placed the dirty ones in a plastic bag. Soon, they were both ready to leave the locker room and face the rest of their day at school. Quinn picked up the unfortunate trash can that had to endure the wrath of Sue Sylvester - luckily for her, it was empty since Coach Sylvester had told Figgins that the Cheerio's locker room needed to be cleaned at least twice a day and that the trash had to be emptied five times - and placed it back where it belonged. When Rachel passed Quinn in the door opening, the blond grabbed a hold of her hand and smiled at the diva - a confident smile which told Rachel all she needed to know - they proceeded walking down the hallway hand in hand. The confident smile had transferred from Quinn's to Rachel's face.

"Rachel, do you think your fathers would mind having me over at your house this weekend?" The blond asked, suddenly sounding a lot less confident than she normally did. Rachel stopped mid-stride and turned towards the blond who was now biting her lip.

"Quinn, of course they wouldn't mind - they love you! You should know that by now, you got all of us 'Berries' utterly smitten!" The diva exclaimed happily. Once her fathers had seen Quinn's true feelings for their daughter they had easily been wrapped around her finger.

"No, Rachel, I don't mean just to visit..." The blond bit her lip again before she continued. "I have decided that I am going to tell my mother about us. And since I don't know what her reaction might be like - although I don't expect it to be as bad as last year - I might need a place to stay for a couple of days. Do you think they would mind?"

"I am sure things are different now that your father isn't around, Quinn." The brunette spoke confidently - even though she had never really met Judy Fabray. "My daddy always says that we should help people in need, and if your mother throws you out of your house again, I am sure that you can live with me and my fathers - they love you. I am glad that you are willing to risk all of that for me," the tiny diva admitted with a loving smile to her girlfriend. 

"I know I said a lot of horrible things about you, words which I didn't mean. I really love you, and I want to prove it to you. And there is no better way to prove that to you than by telling my mother the truth. Come what may, I am prepared to take that chance." The blond's earnest words stirred something in Rachel - with all her heart she hoped that it really was just the influence of Russell Fabray that had made Judy watch as her daughter was thrown out of the house. For Quinn's sake, she hoped that the blond girl was right.

_All of these words whispered in my ear  
Tell a story that I cannot beg to hear  
Just cause I said it don't mean that I meant it  
People say crazy things, just cause I said it, don't mean that I meant it  
Just cause you heard it_

Rumour has it she's the one I am leaving it all for. 

**The prompt for this chapter was 'Shower together' and the song used is 'Rumour has it' from Adele. **


	10. Part 10 What kind of a mother

**AN: There is no real excuse for the long wait except for real life getting in the way of any writing. Work has been crazy busy and being home late and exhausted doesn't really help the writing process. Sorry for the long wait, I hope that you will still like what I came up with! Let me know! **

**Part 10 - What kind of a mother would you be? **

Quinn was stalling, she knew she was. It had been hours since she arrived home from her Cheerio's practice, but she hadn't left her room yet. Quite some time passed since her mother arrived home and now she could smell the delicious scent of her cooking wafting up the stairs.

A year and a half ago she had not even known that her mother could boil an egg and now she was cooking the two of them a meal each night. Her father had always said that cooking and cleaning was for the less fortunate in the world, so he had always hired either a live-in nanny or a maid. But like everything that had changed in Quinn's life, this had as well. Since her mother took her back in, the dinner had been a daily recurring event where they would talk about their day. Her mother was really showing an interest in her life and Quinn had been grateful for that.

Usually she would look forward to their dinner together. But not today. Quinn was standing at the top of the stairs; her hand gripped the banister tightly, her knuckles turned white. Her WMHS cheerleader duffle bag was hanging heavily off her shoulder, stuffed with everything she might need if she where kicked out of the house again. This time she was prepared for it to happen; this time she had a back-up plan. Rachel and her fathers had generously offered their house to her. The blond hoped, however, that she didn't have to take them up on their offer. She loved Rachel but she also knew that it would change everything between them if they where - in a way - forced to live together right now.

"Quinnie, honey! Dinner's ready!" Judy Fabray called out from the kitchen to her daughter who presumably was still upstairs in her room. Quinn was startled from her thoughts the second she heard her mother call out to her. Her mouth was dry and it was hard to swallow. She looked down at the stairs in front of her and forced herself to take one step after another. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she placed the heavy bag near the front door and turned on her heels.

Without a word she entered the kitchen and sat down at the counter where her mother placed their plates. Judy turned around - surprised because her daughter didn't say a word - and watched her closely. Quinn could feel her mother's eyes on her before she even looked up. Their eyes crossed, and for a second Quinn wondered where the strong head bitch in charge had gone because she certainly wasn't here. "Mom, we need to talk, " she mumbled. Her voice was barely audible.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Judy asked worriedly placing the utensils she had been holding on the counter between them. "You can tell me everything. I know it has been different in the past but ... it's changed, we changed. I changed, Quinnie." Her mother tried to reach across the counter to grasp one of her daughter's hands but she pulled away.

Judy sank down on one of the chairs and watched her daughter. Minutes passed by slowly before Quinn said anything. "What I am about to tell you is going to hurt you. It will shock you and you will most likely hate me for what I am about to say. But I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

"Oh Quinnie, you're not pregnant again are you?" Judy was worried about her daughter.

"What! Mom, no not for at least another ten years, I'll make sure of that." In fact, her mother couldn't have been farther from the truth. After all, the type of relationship she was in made sure that there was no way she could get pregnant even if she wanted too. Despite everything, a small smile appeared on her face. "It's nothing like that."

"What can be so bad that you think I can't handle it?" Judy sighed. "Quinn, you are scaring me."

"I am gay."

"Quinn, you can't be a lesbian!" Her mother sat up straighter, her face turning to stone like the blond had seen so many times before. "How can you be a lesbian when you were dating that boy just last year? You've been with that Hudson boy for ages and there was that Puckerman kid... You can't be gay." It was a statement, not a question. Her mother's fingers lightly touched the gold cross on her necklace.

"I am gay, or at least I am in a relationship with a girl who I love very much." Quinn stared straight at her mother - she didn't blink her eyes at all while she spoke and continued to stare at her mother, her head bitch in charge expression firmly in place. Two can play this game - after all, Quinn had learned from the best.

Their food was long since forgotten while the two blondes stared at each other. "Gay. What would your father say..."

"Mom! My father kicked me out of the house when I needed you the most. My father hasn't talked to me in over a year, he doesn't care. In his eyes I don't exist anymore, so I really don't care what he might think about my choices in my life anymore."

"Quinn, he's your father!"

"Mom, I would think that of all people you would be the one who would understand how I felt about the subject. You're in the middle of a divorce, you left him. You told me you left him because you didn't agree with the way he treated me and now you are asking me to consider what he would think about it?" Quinn seemed calm and her voice was steady, but inside, she was in turmoil. "Since I moved back home we haven't talked about him, and yet when I want to include you in something great that happened to me, you all of the sudden fall back on his objections? Maybe I was wrong in thinking that you've changed."

During Quinn's little speech, her mother's face had softened considerably; "Quinnie, you are right. I have lived with your father for so many years that hating people because they are different..." Her fingers once again ghosted over the golden cross on her necklace before she continued speaking. "It's easier to dislike people." She sighed and bowed her head; she was silent while she inspected her perfectly manicured nails. "Quinn, I love you. You are my daughter. This is not what I wanted for you."

"Believe me mom, with the way I was raised, this wasn't what I wanted either. But this is what feels right at this moment. I really do love her, more than I ever loved Finn or Puck for that matter." Quinn sighed, mimicking her mother's action by looking down at her hands before continuing what she was about to say. "I'm the head cheerleader. It was expected of me to date the most popular boy in the school - the quarterback - and when I think about it now, it all seems so stupid and meaningless. Because I have always liked this girl, and I was scared that people would figure it out... So I made her life a living hell. I teased her every chance I got. I ridiculed her and her parents so that no one would suspect how much I actually liked her. And even last year after everything I had done to her, she came to me and offered me her friendship when I needed it the most. When I felt so alone in the world, when I had no home. Even than I pushed her away and told her that I didn't need her when all I wanted was for her to wrap her arms around me and tell that everything would be okay. That I would be okay..." This was the first time Quinn was really letting her mother in on her feelings during her time away from home.

Quinn was still looking down at her hands, hiding her face from her mother because she knew that if she saw any trace of resentment or hatred she would break down and the floodgates would open. She swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat. "Do you really think... that I... would do this to hurt you?" Her voice cracked, sounding incredibly brittle.

Judy watched her daughter, her young strong daughter, falling apart due to her inner turmoil right in front of her eyes. She made her way around the counter and gathered the frail shoulders of her seventeen year old daughter in her hands. Judy turned Quinn towards her. "Quinnie darling, you are right. I told you to trust me, and I promised you that what happened last year would never happen again. You're right, I shouldn't include your father in this. Will you give me another chance?" Judy's hands dropped from Quinn's shoulders down to her hands, their fingers intertwined.

For the first time since she bowed her head, Quinn dared to look up and nodded at her mother. She didn't speak, she doubted that her voice would hold if she even tried. Judy sat down in the chair next to Quinn, facing her daughter. "It might not be what I wanted for you and I might need some time to adjust to the idea of you being in love with a girl. But I will try my best - for you."

Quinn fell forward and grasped her mother's shoulders; she no longer held her tears back. Sobs raked through her frail body while her mother's arms embraced her and held her tightly. Her mother's hands caressed her back gently while she allowed her daughter to cry all the tears she needed for relief. And when Quinn's tears finally dried, they noticed that an hour had passed since the girl entered the kitchen. "I am sorry for spoiling your food," Quinn said with a smile despite everything.

"Sometimes there are more important things than food. Besides, that's what the microwave is for!" Judy answered with a smile.

Quinn rubbed her eyes and tentatively smiled at her mother. The older woman got up and started to re-heat the food in the microwave before she returned to her seat across from her daughter. "So are you going to tell me about this girl of yours?" She asked with a gleeful smile on her face.

"Thank you."

"For what, Quinnie? Finally admitting how wrong I have been in the past and for finally listening to you? _Really _listening? I know how wrong I have been, believe me, and I am also very aware of how close I came to losing you forever and I never want to be at that point again. We, the two of us, we've been working hard on rebuilding our relationship and if this is what you are going to be happy with ... so be it. So tell me, that girl?" Judy Fabray admitted something she had never done to anyone before. All her life she had allowed the man in her life to rule for her. First, it had been her father who always told her what was right and wrong, and no matter how absurd it had been she had believed every word of it. And once he had walked her down the isle, it had been her husband who she stood by for all the wrong reasons.

Quinn smiled the tears finally dried. "Rachel, she's wonderful."

"Rachel, that is the dark haired girl from Glee, right?"

Quinn nodded happily while she took her plate from her mother.

Meanwhile across town Rachel was eating dinner with her fathers in silence. Something which they definitely were not used to; their daughter was never silent, she was usually the only one talking. In fact, she normally had to be stopped if either one of them had something they wanted to share, but not today.

"Rachel?" Hiram asked with a concerned look on his face when his daughter once again grabbed her phone and checked it before she placed it back on the table and sighed loudly. The little diva pushed her food across the plate never really eating anything. "What's going on? Did something happen with Quinn?"

Rachel sighed again. "Quinn told me that she's going to tell her mother today... about us. And I told her that I could be there if she wanted me to, but she kindly declined telling me that she wanted to talk to her mother alone and not drag me into it because it could become quite nasty. I guess she doesn't want a repeat of last year's fiasco when she told them that she was pregnant. She was really worried though. But I have texted her more than once, and she hasn't texted or called me back. What if..."

"Rachel, sweetie, you're driving yourself crazy and it's probably unnecessary. Quinn loves you and it is a big step for someone who grew up like she did. And yet, she is going to tell her mother about the two of you. Give her some time and, when she's ready, she'll let you know." Hiram reasoned with his daughter. "But since you have been home a couple of hours already and so far Quinn hasn't rang our doorbell with a suitcase in her hand, I would say so far so good. And if she does need our help, you know that we will give it to her. Never forget that we, too, had a similar experience with dad's parents when we first started dating. And it's hard - I won't deny that - and Quinn might need your help to get through it, but if you ever have any doubts, just remember that she's doing this for you because she loves you." Hiram and Leroy watched their daughter while their fingers entangled in a loving gesture.

_What kind of a mother would hate her own daughter if she where gay? _

_**Let me know what you think! Read & review, please! :)**  
_


	11. Part 11

**Part 11 - **

Quinn parked her car in the parking lot of a nearby park. She cut the engine and grabbed her phone from the passenger seat. Her fingers ran quickly over the screen while she typed a message and sent it in record time. She opened the door and continued her way down the grass when she reached the wooden picnic table. She patiently waited while she stared across the water. It took less than five minutes before another car drove into the parking lot and came to a halt. A door was slammed and frantic footsteps sounded on the concrete only to be dampened by the grass.

"Quinn! Quinn! Please, please tell me you're okay!"

The blond smiled broadly while she awaited for the frantic teenager to come around the table and see the smile on her face. As soon as the brunette rounded the corner of the picnic table and came into full view of the blond's smirk she came to a screeching halt. Her mouth dropped open the second her brain registered that despite her deepest concerns the blond seemed perfectly fine – content, even.

The brunette slapped Quinn against her arm - hard - before she placed her hands on her hips. "That is not even a laughing matter, Quinn! You had me worried, I thought your mom kicked you out ... again! My fathers almost didn't allow me to come here alone because I was so out of my mind with worry and here you are, sitting contently, waiting for me while all the worst scenarios ran through my mind in a matter of minutes!" The brunette opened her mouth to take in a breath Quinn took her chance before the tiny diva could continue her rant.

"You done?" She asked, with a raised brow - yet the smile never fell.

The brunette sighed in defeat while she raised herself onto the picnic table next to the blond, she turned towards Quinn and urged her to continue. But not before she rolled her eyes in an overly dramatic gesture while she replied, "Yes. Talk."

"Good. I talked to my mom."

"That is what we discussed before you went home to talk to your mom. Given your smile, I figured that either you hadn't talked to her or it went extremely well. So since you are telling me that you have spoken with your mother I take it that it must have gone well, extremely well?"

"Yes, it went well. A lot better than expected. It was nerve wracking and difficult, I was sure that my mom would throw me out. I had my bags packed, prepared for the worst. Something changed, I can't explain it - my mother actually listened to me." Rachel watched Quinn while she struggled to explain what happened. She watched while the blond bit her lip, trying to come up with an explanation of what exactly happened. But how could she explain to someone like Rachel who never had to fight her parents because she didn't live up to their high expectations? They were silent for a minute sitting next to each other on the park bench; "I can't explain it, I just ... you had to be there." Rachel leaned into the blond placing her hand on her upper thigh. Quinn immediately wrapped her arm around Rachel's shoulder and pulled her even closer.

"See, I told you everything would turn out just fine."

"You did. But I wasn't sure if you actually meant it or if you just said it to get me to calm down. Did you really believe that she would change her mind?" Quinn asked with a raised brow while she studied Rachel's expression. "To be honest I couldn't even imagine that my mother would listen to me." The blond added softly, as if she was afraid to admit it.

"I was sure that everything would be alright, I just wasn't sure in which shape or form. I knew that it might take some time before everything would actually be alright, but this time you had a back up plan in place. My dads, they understand what happened to you with the type of family you have, it's the same reason why I only know half of my family; therefore, I knew that you would have been fine in the long run. You could have lived with us and we could have made it work in the long run like my dads did." Now it was Rachel's turn to bite her lip. "To be honest, I didn't really believe that your mother would change her mind, I hoped she would, for you - because your parents hurt you enough last year - but people who are _that_ bigoted usually won't see that true love can exist in a same sex relationship. Because once they do they might be wrong about other things as well and no one likes to admit that all of the ideas they stand for are wrong." She stared down at her hands, she wasn't able to look at the blond's face to see if the honesty she portrayed would be appreciated or not. They were still getting to know each other, after all, and brutal honesty had not always worked so well in the past.

Quinn jumped off the table and for a second Rachel was afraid that the blond would walk away when she turned on her heels and pulled the short brunette into a hug. Rachel was surprised and it took her a few seconds for her mind to catch up but when she did she wrapped her arms around the blond as well and pulled her close.

"I could stay like this forever," the brunette mumbled into Quinn's neck before she kissed her.

"Hmm... I could as well but we might want to rethink that. People are staring at us," the blond said with a smile while she watched some people who were walking a dog. The couple had turned around several times even though they had changed direction and were walking away from them. Quinn stared at them with a daring smile, the one she had used so many times before when she dared people to talk back to her at school. Hardly anyone ever did.

"Let them stare at us, we're not doing anything wrong." Rachel shrugged. "Your mom knows, my dads know, and so far no one made a problem out of it. I don't mind what other people think. Besides, I see this as a great experience in preparation for my future as a Broadway star. Once I reach my goal paparazzi will be with me twenty four seven."

The blond chuckled loudly, her fingers got caught in Rachel's long dark tresses before she caught her lips in a searing kiss. "You're unbelievable."

"Maybe. I'm just trying to see something positive. That's what I do." The brunette smirked at the blond while she kissed Quinn. "You should know that by now. Unfortunately, it's getting late and I really need my eight hours of sleep - _also_ something you should know about me."

"Believe me, I have heard the speech before about the importance of a good sleep schedule, proper exercise, and a well-balanced diet," Quinn replied with a smirk.

"Perfect. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yes, you will." Quinn answered with a smirk, she kissed Rachel tenderly before she actually let the tiny diva get off the table. She held onto Quinn's hand for as long as she could before she almost skipped away to the parked cars.

Everything was the way it was supposed to be in the world. Quinn's mom managed to accept what her daughter had to say to her - she actually listened - and they no longer had to hide the love they felt for each other.

"Rachel?" The brunette instantly turned around. "My mom invited you to eat dinner with us tomorrow night. Maybe we can catch a movie after?"

The huge smile that played on the brunette's lips grew even bigger when her brown eyes met the hazel. "I would _love_ to meet your mother. I'll be there."


End file.
